Notes by Christopher Lay

Pierce College

Department of Philosophy & Sociology

 

 

 

 

My quick and easy guide to writing an essay, wherein I synthetically argue in favor of Heilbroner by appealing to parts of Singer. 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

 

Description of that which is included in essay's introduction

That which could actually be included in essay's introduction. 

 

 

Very briefly introduce a problem. 

Heilbroner argues that self-interested rationality cannot tackle things like the carbon related problems we are creating for future generations. 

 

 

Very briefly introduce a solution. 

For a solution I shall appeal to Singer's arguments 1) about preventing bad things and 2) against spatial discrimination. 

 

 

Very briefly introduce one half of solution. 

Singer argues that "if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it." [Note, for an introduction, this should probably just be a paraphrase.]

 

 

Very briefly introduce other half of solution. 

Singer also argues that "we cannot discriminate against someone merely because he is far away from us" if we want to "accept any principle of impartiality, universalizability, [or] equality ... ." [Note, for an introduction, this should probably just be a paraphrase.] 

 

 

Very briefly explain how essay's actual solution will morph one half of Singer's argument about spatial discrimination. 

For the purposes of addressing Heilbroner's problem, I will alter that anti-spatial discrimination claim Singer makes to an anti-temporal discrimination claim (and corresponding argument). 

 

 

A single evaluative statement that is original, argumentative, interesting, and proportional to page-length considerations. 

In this essay I shall argue that we can think of Singer's spatial principle in terms of time: equality means that we treat people in different times equally to the way we should treat people in our own time. 

 

Inasmuch, I will be echoing Singer to answer Heilbroner's problem by showing that we should use our power to prevent significant exacerbation of global warming and its ill effects in the distant future, which we can do without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance. 

 

 

Briefly show how you will support that thesis. 

To support that thesis I will show how Singer's argument against spatial discrimination applies equally well against temporal discrimination:  "we cannot discriminate against someone merely because he is [temporally distant] from us" if we want to "accept any principle of ... equality ... ." 

 

 

 

That support will include of an arguably good principle of equality. 

 

 

Briefly introduce a possible objection. 

 

 

Before concluding I will consider an objection: assigning moral praise or blame happens with spatially and temporally identifiable individuals, but we cannot spatially or temporally identify future individuals. 

 

 

Briefly gesture at how you will reply to that objection. 

(In response I'll show, for instance, that just because victims cannot be identified now does not mean that the person who detonates a bomb with a one-hundred-year fuse has not done something immoral.) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Body of Essay

 

 

 

[Description of that which is included in essay's post-introduction body.]   

[That which could actually be included in essay's post-introduction body paragraphs.]

 

 

Heilbroner Paragraph topic sentence

Heilbroner argues that exclusively self-interested notions of rationality cause future problems with the environment, and debilitates us from solving those problems now on behalf of future generations. 

 

 

Self-interest doesn't stretch more than a couple of generations into the future. 

 

 

 

This causes us to make "short-sighted" decisions about the environment. 

 

 

 

Example, quickly.

 

 

 

Heilbroner's claim that empathy is needed. 

 

 

 

Brief dismissal of Heilbroner's notion of empathy as unexplained [but perhaps we can make sense of that notion of empathy with the help of Singer]. 

 

 

 

Paragraph Break.

 

 

 

Topic sentence for solution recipe / segue paragraph

There is an alternative procedure available, thanks to thinkers like Singer. 

 

 

Description of Singer's Famine project. 

 

 

 

Brief description of Singer's "death is bad" premise. 

 

 

 

Brief description of Singer's Prevention Principle.

 

 

 

Brief description of Singer's "space" principle. 

 

 

 

Example, with explanation of example.

 

 

 

Segue sentence.

In what follows, those parts will be explained and sometimes enhanced in a way that provides a partial solution to Heilbroner's problem. 

 

 

Paragraph Break.

 

 

 

Topic sentence for Singer's Prevention Principles paragraph. 

Singer argues that if we can help others who need that help, and that helping them doesn't significantly harm us, then we are obliged to help them. 

 

 

Explain what that principle means. 

 

 

 

Example of that principle, with explanation of that example. 

 

 

 

Support for that principle in terms of self-interest. 

 

 

 

Support for that principle independent of self-interest. 

 

 

 

Paragraph Break.

 

 

 

Topic sentence for Singer's "space" principle. 

Singer also argues that one's spatial location (on earth) doesn't matter when one has the power to reduce harm. 

 

 

Explain what that principle means. 

 

 

 

Example of that principle, with explanation of this example. 

 

 

 

Support for that principle in terms of self-interest. 

 

 

 

Support for that principle independent of self-interest. 

 

 

 

Paragraph Break.

 

 

 

Topic sentence for my morph of Singer's "space" principle. 

I argue that we can think of Singer's spatial principle in terms of time: equality means that we treat people in different times equally to the way we should treat people in our own time. 

 

 

Explain what that principle means. 

 

 

 

Example of that principle. 

 

 

 

Support for that principle in terms of self-interest. 

 

 

 

Support for that principle independent of self-interest. 

 

 

 

Paragraph Break.

 

 

 

Topic sentence for main support paragraph

Space and time are relevantly similar enough to argue that just as one not discriminate against someone who is far away from you even though you have the power to help them, one ought not discriminate against someone who is temporally distant when you have the power to help (or hurt) them. 

 

 

Show how temporal distance doesn't change the warrant for praise or blame.

 

 

 

Show how temporal distance doesn't change in a negative way the power to help (or hurt). 

 

 

 

Example of Roman aqueduct. 

 

 

 

Explain how example properly exemplifies the point I want it to exemplify.

 

 

 

Paragraph Break.

 

 

 

Topic sentence for equality principle paragraph

But what principle of equality are we talking about? 

 

 

Define the principle of equality that Singer is likely using. 

 

 

 

Explain that principle in terms of space. 

 

 

 

Explain that principle in terms of time (short-term)

 

 

 

Explain that principle in terms of time (long-term)

 

 

 

Counterfactually argue in favor of that principle of equality

 

 

 

Paragraph Break.

 

 

 

Topic sentence for wrapping up main argument paragraph

And with that principle of equality in place we can now see a solution to Heilbroner's problem. 

 

 

Show how we have the power to prevent significant exacerbation of global warming and its ill effects in the distant future.   

 

 

 

Show how we can do this without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance.  

 

 

 

Paragraph Break.

 

 

 

Topic sentence for objection paragraph.

Against my argument one could object that I have an "agency" problem–that it is permissible to discriminate against people who don't exist.  [This should not resonance to Marquis' reply to an objection in an article on abortion.] 

 

 

Explain how assigning moral praise or blame happens with spatially and temporally identifiable individuals. 

 

 

 

Show how we cannot spatially or temporally identify future individuals. 

 

 

 

Argue that in the absence of those individuals' identities we cannot assign praise or blame now for our actions. 

 

 

 

Paragraph Break.

 

 

 

Topic sentence for reply to objection paragraph.

While such an objection rightly acknowledges the problems of assigning praise and blame with regards to future actions, it fails to recognize the real sense in which praise and blame for future actions is warranted in certain cases. 

 

 

Show how any notion of agency entails temporal distance: that morality is nothing if not concerned with the future. 

 

 

 

Give an example of short-term praise or blame. 

 

 

 

Give an example of long-term praise or blame (i.e., the one-hundred year fuse)

 

 

 

Explain how that example shows what the objection misses. 

 

 

 

Conclusion ...